The eleven years old son of Mukesh Thakwani, Director of Delhi Public School International (DPSI) Tema, Raj Thakwani, has emerged the overall winner of the 2018 edition of the South Asian Spelling Bee competition at the Ghana country level.

Raj Thakwani, a class 8 pupil, displayed his academic prowess to the admiration of many parents, guardians and students as he took on 23 other contestants in a fierce spelling battle held on Sunday, May 20, 2018, at DPSI's Tema-based campus.

Little Thakwani and his fellow contestants were bombarded severally with long and 'difficult' words by organisers of the South Asian Spelling Bee Competition, Touchdown Media. Many such words had their origin and meanings in Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, Zulu, and Latin.

At a point, the battle became tough and most of the participants, tearfully, fell on the way after wrong spellings. But, Raj Thakwani, bubbling with confidence and raw bravado, made his parents and other spectators gathered in the school's auditorium proud as he correctly spelt all the words thrown at him making him the hero of the day.

He was rewarded with a gold medal, a trophy and a cash prize of $300 as well as an air ticket to New Jersey, USA, to participate in the 2018 global edition of the competition, which according to the organisers, is scheduled for August 2nd.

Second-placed 10 years-old Akshaya Lakshika of Class 7, who gave Raj a running battle, received a cash prize of $200, a silver medal and an air ticket to New Jersey for the global competition.

Fourteen-years-old Dhiraj Sahijwani of Class 10, who got the third position, was awarded a bronze medal and a $100 cash prize

The objective of the Spelling Bee is to, among other things, help students improve their vocabulary, learn new words from across the world and the history behind such words.

The spelling bee which is intended for students between the ages of 8 and 14, has been ongoing at DPSI for the past three years and the international edition will see students from six American cities and DPSI Ghana battling for the ultimate award in New Jersey.

The principal of DPSI, David Raj, in an interview with the media before the start of the competition, said the South Asian Spelling Bee has over the years helped pupils in the school to improve their vocabulary and spelling abilities.

According to him, it has helped grow the children and improve their confidence level, adding that it has also contributed to making the teachers conscious of their speeches and vocabularies, as he pointed out that his students had often taken him by surprise with requests for him to spell certain words.

He expressed the hope that the South Asian Spelling Bee Competition expands in Ghana and reaches other schools.

Head of the English Department at DPSI Ghana, Helen Davids, averred that "the South Asian Spelling Bee is a good course for the students."

She expressed her gratitude to the South Asian Spelling Bee team for its support to the competition over the years.

On his part, DPSI's Director, Mr Thakwani, told the media that "the Spelling Bee is perfect for the community. It is one part of the extracurricular activities that we believe in."

According to him, "It helps boost the students’ confidence level, and besides the spelling, you learn a lot of other things as well, and it promotes teamwork also. It is bringing the community together. It is an excellent platform for students who are coming to learn something that is happening at the international level."

He reiterated that DPSI Ghana was established by the B5 Plus Company Limited, a leading steel and iron firm, as its corporate social responsibility, saying "I believe in education. I believe that education is the best gift we can give to society."

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